i I. r tLNT H VOLUME XXXIX. PRICE $1.50 THE YEAR IN ADVANCE NEWTON, N. C, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1917. PRICE FIVE CENTS THE COPY. NUMBER 4. GERMANY'S CUNNING IN MEXICAN Offered Carranza Texas, Arizona and New Mexico as Spoils Attack United States Foreign Minister Zimmermann Sent Instructions Through Bernstorff, who Wept on Departure. The Associated Press has revealed nk-ticm with General Cr-.ranza's re that Germany, in planning unrestrict- j cent proposal to neutrals thai exports ed submarine warfare and counting j of food and munitions to the entente its consequences, proposed an alliance i allies I mt :v and an ii v'mation with Mexico and Japan to make war on the United States if this country should not remain neutral. Japan, through Mexican mediation, was to be urged to abandon her allies and join in the attack on the United States. Mexico, for her reward, was to re ceive general financial support from Germans', reconquer Texas, New Mexico and Arizona lost provinces and share in the victorious peace terms Germany contemplates. Details were left to German Minis ter von Eckhardt in Mexico City, who, by instructions signed by Ger man Foreign Minister Zimmerman at Berlin, January 19, 1917, was di rected to propose the alliance with Mexico to General Carranza and sug- gest that Mexico seek to bring Japan into the plot. These instructions were transmitt ed to von Eckhardt through Count von Bernstoff, former German am bassador here, now on his way home to Germany under a safe conduct ob tained from his enemies by the coun try against which he was plotting war. Germany pictures to Mexico, by broad intimation, England and the entente allies defeated; Germany and her allies triumphant and in world domination by the instrument of un restricted submarine warfare. A copy of Zimmerman's instruc tions to von Eckhardt, sent through von Bernstoff, is in possession of the United States government. It is as follows : The German Note. Berlin, Jan. 19, 1917 On the 1st of February we intend V-. to Degin submarine wartare unre- -Cia - stricted. In spite of this, it is our in ?" . tention to endeavor to keep neutral V . the Uunited States of America. ; If this attempt is not successful, '. I'--.' v .we propose an alliance upon the, fol ,V ' . , ,: lowing basis with. Mexico: That we .L. t .."c ssll m,ak ,wprjtrt1:nr jnd toffethcr 4w Wf ' '"wtik peace.1 "We "shall rgive general t" f - ' financial support, and, it - is: under v 5 stood that Mexico is to reconquer the r tost territory : m New . Mexico, Texas . and Arizona The' details are left to : .,,!.you f qr settlement. -: " 7 - vYou. are instructed to ' inform the president of; Mexico -of the above in th greatest confidence as soon, as it is certain that there will be an dut- break of war with the United States, and suggest that the president of '-, Mexico,- on his own initiative, should . communicate - with Japan, suggesting . adherence at once to this plan; at the . same time offer to mediate between ; Germany and Japan. 7 . Please ''call to the attention of the -president of Mexico that the em- ployment of ruthless submarine war ' fare now promises to compel Eng land to make peace in a few months. (Signed) ZIMMERMAN. - ' President Had Document. "This document has been in the hands of the government since Presi dent Wilson broke off diplomatic re lations with Germany; it has been kept secret up to this time, while the president has been asking congress for full authority to deal with Ger many, and while congress has been hesitating. It was in the president's hand while Chancellor von Beth-mann-Hollweg was declaring that the United States had placed an interpre , tation on the submarine declaration , "never intended by Germany," and that Germany had promoted and hon ored friendly relations with the Uni ted States as "an heirloom from Fred t erick the Great." ; ... Of itself, if there were no other, it . '' considered a sufficient, answer to the German Chancellor's plaint that the United States "brusquely" broke off relations without giving "authen tic" reasons for its action. - The document supplies the missing ; link to many separate chains of cir :, ,'cumstances, which until now have seemed to lead to no definite point. bheds New Light, It sheds new light upon the fre quently reported, but indefinable movements of the Mexican govern- , ment to couple its situation with the friction between the United States and Japan. It adds another chapter to the celebrated report of Jules Cam bon, French ambassador in Berlin before the war, of Germany's world- wide plans for stirring strife on every continent where they might aid her in the struggle for world domination which she dreamed was close at hand. It adds a climax to the operations of Count von Bernstorff and the German ' .embassy in this country, which have '.. been colored with passport frauds, charges of dynamite plots and in trigue, the full extent of which never has been published. "' New. Credence to Reports It gives new credence to persis tent reports of submarine bases on Mexican territory in the Gulf of Mex ,' ico; it takes cognizance of a fact long . recogpized by army chiefs, that if -Japan ever undertook to invade the ' United States, it would probably be - through Mexico, over the border and into $ie Mississippi valley to split f the country in two. It recalls that Count von Bernstorff, when handed his passports, was very reluctant to return to Germany but expressed a . preference for asylum in Cuba. It ';; gives a new explanation to the re peated arrests on the border of men ; charged by American military au :.thoritis with being German intel gence aerents. " ' , . kast; of all ,it beccs to show a con 1 HAND EXPOSED - JAPANESE ALLIANCE and Urged Japan to that he might stop the supply of oil, so vital to the British navy, which is exported fro Tampico fields. What congress wil i and how members tf cenpres who openly have sympathized with Germany in their opposition to clothing the presi dent with full attl.oritj to rotec American rights, will regard the revelation o: Germany's machinations to attack the United States, is the subject of the keenest interest. Such a proposal as Germany in structed her minister to make to A o:-ico borders on an act of war, if acuii'hy, it is not one. Not Wild Rumors. No doubt exists here now that the persistent reports during the last two vea'rs o fthe operations of German 1 agents not alone in Mexico, but all through Central America and the West Indies are based on fact. There is now no doubt whatever thac the proposed alliance with Mex ic.) was known to high Mexican of ficials who are distinguished for their anti-Americanism. Among them are Rafael Zubaran, Carranza's minister to eGrmany, and Luis Cabrera, Car ranza's minister of finance. It is apparent that the proposal had taken definite form when Zubaran re turned to Mexico City from Berlin rtcently. His return was covered by the fact that Carranza had called in many of his diplomats for "confer ences." Some time before that, Cabrera while still at Atlantic City in the conferences of the American- I Mexican joint commission, had sug i gested in a guarded way to a member ! cf the American section that he re- j gritted that the commission had not succeeded fully insettling the dif ficulties between Mexico and United States, for, he said, he had hoped it might continue its work and make peace for the world.' Wherr pressed for sony now ine commi&on & aii - - wctia peace, tireia bas me American repumics - co: the destiny of the war by contr a large part of its supplies Mexico, he intimated, miht do her part by cutting off exports of oil. The American commissioners dismissed, his ideas as visionary. Openly Anti-American. Almost coincident with Zubaran's return from Germany, Cabrera re turned to Mexico City, open in his ex pressions of anti-Americanism. Zubar an, before being sent abroad, had rep resented General Carranza here while the Niagara mediation conferences were proceeding, and was no less avowedly anti-American than Cabre ra. Meanwhile, Baron von Schoen, secretary of the German embassy, was offered to the legation in Mexico City. No explanation could be ob tained of the reason for this transfer, and such, investigation as was pos sible failed to develop why a secre tary from the United States should be sent to the German legation in. Mexico. Baron von Schoen's associa tion with the moves, if any at all, does not appear. The only outward indication that he might have been connected with them is found in the fact that he recently had been de tached from the German embassy in Tokio and was well acquainted with the Japanese minister in Mexico City. Carranza's peace proposal was openly pronounced as an evidence of German influence in Mexico by offi cials here, who declared it was in tended only to embarrass the United States. Then apparently, some in fluences showed their effect on the course of Mexican government and on February 25, Cabrera, the minister of finance, issued a statement de scribing the "amazement" of the Mexican government that he Ameri can newspapers should have interpre ted General Carranza's proposal to cut off exports of munitions as a sug gestion that he might cut off ship ments of British oil. They were, Cabrera declared, "entirely ground less," and that feature of the situa tion ended. There was an intimation that Ger many's astounding proposal that Japan turn traitor to her allies had been answered by Tokio. Part Played by Weeping Bernstorff. Count von Bernstorff's connection with the plot, further than serving as the channel of communication, is intensified by the fact that the Ger man embassy here was not merely the medium of delivering a message in this instance, but was really a sort of headquarters for all the German mis sions in Central and South America. The German naval attache, Captain Boy-Ed, and the military attache, Captain von Papen, whose recall was forced by the state department be cause of their military activities in this country, also were accredited to Mexico, and between the outbreak of the war and their departure from this' country made at least one visit there. For months, many naval officers here have believed that mysterious German raiders of the South Atlantic must have found a base somewhere on the Mexican coast, and that such a base could not be maintained with out the knowledge and consent of Mexican officials. Last November, the British charge at Mexico iCty presented to the Car ranza foreign office a notification that if it was discovered that Mexican (Continued on page four) GERMANY HOLDS SEAMEN Now Says an Infectious Disease Has Broken Out Among Them, Justi fying Their Detention. A wireless dispatch from Germany says "the release of the American prisioners brought to Germany on the Yarrowdale, although ordered some time ago, cannot be carried out for the moment, as an infectious dis ease has been discovered at the place of their residence. As the outbreak of the malady necessitates a quaran tine measure affectin the number of persons about to leave Germany the Overseas Agency states, that the delay is m the interests of neutral countries. The hope is expressed that the quarantine will be of short duration. The American citizens it is announced, are safe and well." Washington Peeved About It. Germany's procrastination in com plying with repeated American de mands for release1 of the Yarrowdale prisoners is bringing the controver sy to a grave stage. , Accounted the most serious dif ficulty between the two countries, a side from the submarine issue itself, the Yarrowdale case has - been a source of growing concern and indig nation among officials, some of whom now are convinced that Germany's in tention is to hold the American sea men as hostages pending a decision as to peace or war. Such an act would be regarded here as not only a flagrant violation of international law and treaty rights, but an insult to the dignity and good faith of the United States. While the administration has been inclined to subordinate all collateral issues to the paramount principles involved in the submarine campaign, the plight of the Yarrowdale men has forced itself steadily forward as one of the most important factors in the existing crisis. Another inquiry regarding the sea men has been sent through the Span ish ambassador in Berlin. Once before the United States was advised that the prisioners had been released, but it developed that the German officials had decided to hold them until it was learned what treat ment erman citizens and property was receiving in this country. When the Yarrowdale a prize ship, took the American seamen into Ger many two months ago, the German government announced tha they were being held beacuse the y had taken pay on armed entente mer chantmen encountered by the German raider. In response to the protests of the United States, however, there has been no attempt to defend such a proceeding under international law, ana omcials feel that by consenting set tnem tree Germany has reco- I that she has no right to de- rVBti.- '. :,..rv-, toi the great difficulties in. the -.reflations has been rinp tn Dip nn. ItfSrmanning of the Spanish embassy in .Berlin, which has taken over not only American interests, bu also many of those belligerent interests formerly represented by this country. HUNGARIAN KILLS WIFE ON FARM IN PITT COUNTY A dispatch from Greenville, Pitt county, the 27th said: Just a few years ago some Hungarians bought land in this county near Pactolus and took up farming. They made fairly good citizens, and it was a shock when tody it was found that one Joseph Zemar had. murdered his wife. There had been no trouble in the family so far as the neighbors knew. Some one of the neighbors, a Hun garian woman, went over to Zemars. She found no one at home. Later Jo seph told that his wife had gone to visit her sister, leaving on the train. These people are' well known about Pactolus and no one had seen her leave on the train. Joseph's action was somewhat suspicious and there was much talk. Sunday he fwas seen to burn some brush in his yard. Things becoming too suspicious of something wrong, Sheriff MaLaw horn and deputies went down there yesterday, They soon took Joseph into custody and adorned him with a pair of handcuffs. Sooon thereafter while standing in the yard with the officers he made a break for liberty and despite the fact that there were several officers, he got to the woods only a few yards from the house and escaped. The officers pursued and fired at him many times but none of the shots seem to have been effective. The officers searched for him for some time but finally gave up the the chase and he is still at large with his handcuffs on. Then began an investigation of the premises. Burning the brush on Sun day was a suspicious circumstance and the ashe pile was examined. Some wood had been placed on the spot af ter the brush had been burned. Rak ing the ashes away it was found that the earth had been disturbed. Digg ing down in the fresh dirt 'about 18 inches some pieces of wood were found and under these was the body of the missing wife. The ground was very wet and her body body was in mud and had to be washed before it could be recognized. She had nothing on but some light undergarments. An examination showed that her head had been hit many times with some instrument like a pick. It was badly disfigured. After investigating as best they could the body was given a decent burial in a coffin. WHAT THE MERCHANTS ARE SAYING THIS WEEK Mrs. Ida Trollinger announces the beginning of the spring millinery season. Caldwell Cochran company, whose specials last week drew so many, have more for tomorrow. Abernethy & Thompson are offer ing new arrivals in coats, suits, waiss and spring slippers. Clapp'g drug store invites tomor row's teachers to visit. The Jefferson Life Ins. Co. has an other bid for Catawba patronage. Quit buying pianos and organs from Messrs. Tom, Dick & Harry, and see Garvin Furniture Home Fo1 company. They're here all the tin;r. Enterprise advertsers can save yu money. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS Remarks in Full as Delivered at Joint Session of Congress Monday For Armed Neutrality. Following is the president's ad dress in full as delivered Monday to the joint session of congress: Gentlemen of the Congress: I have again asked the privilege of addressing you because we are moving through critical times, during which it seems to me. to be my duty to keep in close touch with the houses of congress, so that neither counsel nor action shall run at cross-purposes between us. On the third of February I official ly informed you of the sudden and unexpected action of tthe imperial Ger man government in declaring its in tention to disregard the promises in April last and undertake immediate submarine operations against all com merce, whether of belligerents or of neutrals, that should seak to ap proach Great Britain and Ireland, the Atlantic coasts of Europe or the har bors of the eastern Mediterranean, and to conduct those operations with out regard to the established restric tions of international practice, with out regard to any condsiderations of humanity even, which might interfere with their object. That policy was forthwith put into practice. It has now been in active exhibition for nearly four weeks, Its practical results are not fully dis closed. The commerce of other neutral nations is suffering severely, but not, perhaps, very much more severely than it was already suffering before the first c f February, when the new policy of the imperial government was put into operation. We have asked the co-operation ' of the other neutral governments to prevent these depredations, but I fear none of them has thought it wise to join us in any common course of action. No Overt Act in. Two Sinkings. Our own commerce has suffered, is suffering, rather id apprehension than in fact, rather because to many of our ships are timidly keeping to their home ports than because Amer ican ships have been sunk. Two American vessels have been sunk, the Housatonic and the Lyman M. Law. The case of the Housatonic, which was carrying, foodstuffs con signed to a Lundon firm, was essen tially like the case of the Frye, in which ,it will be " recalled, the Ger man government admitted its lia bility for damages, and the lives of the crew, as in the case of the Frye, was safeguarded with reasonable care. The case of the Law, which was carrying lemon box staves to Pa lermo, disclosed a ruthlessness of me thod which deserves grre jatiemn atioii, bait v.S3 ac.S juo circumstances which, might mat nave been expected at any ' time in con nection with the use of the submarine against merchantmen as the German government has used it. In sum, therefore, the situation we find ourselves' in with regard to the actual conduct of the German sub marine warfare against commerce and its effects upon our own ships and people is substantially the same that it was when I addressed you on the third of February, except for the tying up of our shipping in our own ports because of the unwillingness of our shipowners to risk their ves sels at sea without insurance or ade quate protection, and the very seri our congestion of our commerce which has resulted, a congestion which is growing rapidly more and more serious every day." This in itself might, presently ac complish, in effect, what the new German submarine orders were meant to accomplish, so far as we are concerned. We can only say, therefore, that the overt act which I have venteured to hope the German commanders would in fact avoid has not occurred. German Plans Not .Abated! But while this is happily true, it must be admitted that there have been certain additional indications and expressions of purpose on the part of the German press and the German authorities which have increased rather than lessened the impression that if our ships and our people are spared it will be because of fortu nate circumstances or because the commanders of the German subma rines which they may happen to en counter exercise an unexpected dis cretion and restraint, rather than be cause of the instructions under which those commanders are acting. Gravest Dangers Ahead. It would be foolish to deny that the situation is fraught with the gravest possibilities and dangers. No thoughtful man can fail to see that the necessity for definite action may come at any time, if we are in fact, and not in word, merely, to defend our elementary rights as a neutral nation. It would be most imprudent to be unprepared. I cannot in such circumstances be unmindful of the fact that the ex piration of the term of the present congress is immediately at hand by constitutional limitation, and that it would in all likelihood require an un usual length of time to assemble and organize the congress which is to succeed it. I feel that I ought, in view of that fact, to obtain from you full and im mediate assuarance of the authority "which I may need at any moment to exercise. No doubt I already possess that authority without special war rant of law, by the plain implication of my constitutional duties and paw ners; but I prefer in the present cir cumstances not to act upon general implication. I wish to feel that the authority and the power of the con gress are behind me in whatever it may become necessary for me to do. We are jointly the servants of the people and must act together and in their spirit, so far as we- can divine and interpret it. Defense by Armed Neutrality. No one doubts what it is out duty to do. We must defend our com merce and the lives of our people in the midst of the present trying cir custances with discretion, but with clear and steadfast purpose. Only (Continued on pag four) ROAD REPAIRS IMPORTANT Maintenance is the Main Thing in Good Road Work Catawba Peo ple Will be Asked to' Vote. The continued bad condition of the county's roads and the question of improving them are the most dis cussed topics in the county and the forth-coming state-wide good roads bill is of much interest. The county will likely be called upon at no dis tant date to say whether or not bonds shall be issued. Speaking of sand-clay construction which has been declared no good and praised highly in Catawba during the winter, The Statesville Landmark says of Iredell conditions, and the same is applicable to Catawba roads: "There has been much complaint of bad roads this winter and the fact that there is much mud where coun ties have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for sand-clay roads Ire dell being one has caused many peo ple " to conclude that the sand-clay road is a failure; that we must try something else. There will be times and seasons when it will be impossi ble to keep all sections of all sand clay croads as smooth and clear of mud as asphalt, but The Landmark is disposed to hold that the sand-clay hasn't had a square deal. In no coun ty, probably, certainly not in Iredell, has there been any adequate system of upkeep, and no road will stand the wear and tear of traffic without con stant repair. If a repair force is kept on the job all the time like a section force on a railroad and the repair force is directed by a man who knows his business, who keeps the road ditched and drained and dragged at proper times; and cuts the trees back so there will be plenty of sun shine on top soil we believe there would be little complaint of muddy roads; and if in addition the team sters were required to put on broad tires and there Was some intelligent regulation of tonnage whn the roads are soft, we are sure there would be another story. All this will have to be done systematic, continuous and intelligent upkkeep, narrow tires eli minated, etc. if we are to have good roads, or no matter if the roads are built of material that costs $1,000 a fut. It's our shame that we have spjent so much on roads and let them get in such bad repair; a condemna tion of our system of public business management that spent all our mon ey building roads and left nothing for repair work." The Hickory Record says: "Catawba people soon are to vote on the question of issuing bonds for good roads and provision will be made in advance of the voting for upkeep. The sand-clay, except in very ex treme weather and we have had the worst weather this winter. in yearsr is good enough ior ortunarypurpose. But the roads must be given a W ilkes Getting Busy. A dispatch from Wilkesboro says: The Wilkes county good roads com mission was in session the first of this week, and plans under the new law were made to begin work on the construction of the roads at the earl iest possible moment. It was decided by the state high way commission that the state high way or Boone trail highway shall ex tend across Wilkes county from Pea Ridge to the Yadkin line to Deep Gap in Watauga county. This route must 1 3 adopted as one of the county's highways to be im proved in order to co-operate with the government and secure the finan cial aid promised by it. This does not mean that the Hunting creek sec tion will not get improved roads, for this section must also have improved highways, which will give connection with the Iredell roads in the south eastern par of the county. The commission decided to purchase mules and machinery and to begin work at once. An order was made to purchase 24 or more mules, 24 wheel scrapes, 12 wagons and other road machinery which probably will include a steam shovel. Superintendent of Construc tion Mulligan, and Commissioners W. A. Hendrix, C. R. Triplett and T. C. Myers were authorized to purchase the mules, which they are now doing. LIVE STOCK MEETING IN ATLANTA NEXT MONTH Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 28. "No meet ing of greater importance will be held in the south this year than that of the convention of the Southern Cat tlemen's association which will as semble more than six hundred cattle breeders o fthe south in Atlanta on April 4, 5, and 6, for a discussion of their problems," declares W. M. Brown, agricultural agent for the Southern railway, located at Atlanta. The live stock industry is develop ing so rapidly throughout the south that not only cattle breeders but al so bankers, packing house people, and other business interests will be re presented at this meeting. Officers of the Southern Cattlemen's asso ciation with th eassistance of the locaul committee are boosting the meeting as the best of the associa tion. Speakers of national reputa tion will be on the program and every minute of the time will be pro fitably spent by those attending." R. K. Boney, of Duckport, La., is president of the Southern Cattle men's association, and Neely Bowen, of Memphis, Tenn., is secretary and treasurer. One of the interesting features of this meeting will be the sale of Here ford, Shorthorn, and Angus cattle under the auspices of the respective national and state associations. It is expected that several state breed ers' associations will be organized at the meeting. Box Supper at Catawba. The ladies of the Methodist church have planned a box supper at Cataw ba for Saturday night and invite the public . The proceeds will be used for the parsonage. Following a fall, Charles Taylor, a Greensboro lad, lay in a comatose condition for 24 hours. Physicians thought he had injured the spine in the fall and "tapped" his back. The operation woke the sleeper up. CROP LIEN BILL PASSED Governor Bickett Gets His Pet Meas ure on His Birthday Legisla ture Nearing Adjournment. Wednesday was Governor Bickett's birthday and the crop lien bill which he championed so strongly, to set the tenents free, was enacted into law, ; and he was. doubly happy with the day. Senate Defeats Suffrage. The bill of Judge Jones of Ashe ville to confer the ballot on the wo men in presidential elections, a thing that could be done by the legislature without a constitutional change, was defeated 24 to 20 in the senate Tues day. Other bills allowing women to vote in municipal elections and in all elections, have been defeated pre viously. Senator Jonas supported the Jones bill, declaring North Caro lina women had more sense than their sisters of the west who have the right to vote. Senators who can't stand the idea of a woman out of her place in ! home, but who cheerfully pay real money to see a nifty looker on the i stage, says the Raleigh dispatches, j quoted St. Paul to bolster up their arguments, and Judge Jones said St. I Paul was a "miserable old bachelor," j which shocked , the feelings of some of the pious senators. The senate has passed the bill giv ! ing the Bryan City women the right ' to vote in town elections but has de i nied the women of Asheville the same J privilege. ! Educational Bill. I A favorable report has been made ! on the teachers certification bill. This ! provides a board of institute conduc i tors, three men and three women. 1 They will be paid out of the $13,000 000 will be taken from the equalizing appropriation. As there is no ap propriation attached to the bill it is expected to pass. There is a new bill this week pro viding for the transfer of old mar riage bonds and records from the of fice of the clerk to the office of the register of ' deeds. It will be recall ed by older persons that formerly when a couple was married. they gave bond to guarantee the contract en tered into. Cigarette Bill Loses. The Coggins bill to stop coca cola and cigarettes in the state was re ported unfavorably Tuesday. Cog gins is a preacher and he preached a sermon in support of his bill and had people interested in the articles nam ed, scared up a right smart, but the bill hasn't a chance. University Trustees. More than one hundred trustees for the University of North Carolina, the most of them reappointments, were confirmed by the legislature in I session. -'' . ,--"" 35 . loose oi western Carolina Judge J. C Pritchard, Madison; C. A. Jonas, Lincoln; R- L. Haywood, Sur ry; S. P. Grier, Iredell; K. E. Ben nett, Swain; T. C. Bowie, Ashe; R. L. Smith, Stanley; J. H. Pearson, jr., Burke; W. M. Person, Franklin- A. A. Shuford, Jr., Catawba; Frank Linney, Watauga. Vocational Schools. In order that North Carolina may get her proportionate share of the fund appropriated by the federal government, under the provisions of the Hoke Smith bill, passed by con gress, a bill was introduced in the house carrying a two years' appro priation of $36,000, in order that the state may avail itself of the federal aid for establishing vocational schools. The bill leaves to the - gov ernor the appointment of a commis sioner with authority to confer with the United States commissioner of education and to employ teachers, in structors and demonstrators and a gents to carry on the work. Big Bond Issue. Senator Holdemess, chairman of the committee on appropriations, in troduced a bill to provde a $3,000,000 bond issue to provide for permanent improvements to state institutions, and $500,000 of the issue to consti tute a permanent loan fund for aid ing the construction of buildings for elementary and high school buildings throughout the state. Senator Person introduced a bill to abolish corporal punishment in the prisons. Senator Turner had com pleted a tentative report for the com mittee investigating the state farm stockade conditions and management and it is being passed on by the com mittee membership. It proposes new quarters and equipment and changes in the prison system. The senate considered the Oates bill to form a central purchasing agency for state institutions com posed of the heads of the institutions with a capable clerk to purchase sup plies in bulk. Many questions were asked and the bill passed second read ing. The house passed the bill to pro vide tax levies by the counties to pay debts; issue bonds for roads and maintenance and improvements of roads in the several counties. Prison Board Appointed Governor Bickett Wednesday names his prison board, which will again be headed by H. B. Varner of Lexington, president; other members A. E. Smith of Surry; C. B. Arm strong of Gaston; W. M. Sanders of Smithfield; and B. F. Shelton of Edgecomb. Mack Brown and Mrs. Mack Brown pulled of a small Balkan war on a street in New York and were ar rested, at Brown's request. The ma gistrate asked the trouble and Brown said she slapped him, and was al ways slapping him, and slapped him whenever she felt like it or didn't feel like it continuous, uninterrupt ed and everlasting slapping, says he. He was fined $1 and the missus $3. "Mack will have it to pay," she said, definantly. Mack shook his head at the court and the court sent her to the lock-up. When the American troops barred 4,000 men, women and children from crossing the Rio Grande to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the death of Madero, Carranza soldiers lined up and talked much and fierce. North Carolina troops under Colonel Metts were in charge and were ready to mow 'em down, but the clash was a verted ,narrowly, however. BRIEFS FROM EVERYWHERE News Miscellany Covering the Hap penings of the Week Here, There i " and All Around Snapshots. ) There is amovement afoot in Ashe j vill to close or strictly regulate the I many pool rooms of the city. The j Baraca, Philathea and other church j organizations have started a fight, j It is held by some that the pool j rooms of the city are in effect as de ; moralizing as saloons and other civic j evils. Lenoir county, in which a negro was lynched some months ago, and where a special court was held to in vestigate it, swears it won't pay the expenses of the investigation, over $200, because the negro was a Green county prisoner, and wras lynched by j a Green county mob. Let Green pay ! the bill, says Lenoir. The army appropriation bill carry j ing $250,000,000 has passed the house j and the senate will try to attack on I an amendment requiring universal ! training and military service fromc all citizens between 16 and 45. This idea at first so violently repugnant to America, has become more accept able under pressure of war condi tions. A tornado Friday swept through parts of Alabama and Georgia, kill ing several, wounding others and smashing property. The sections sections visited are those in which are ; located towns of Sylacauga, Hurst i boro, Wetumka and Tuskogee, Alaba- ma; Lithonia, Ga., and Georgetown, Miss. John Ward, awaiting trial for the killing of Louis Hooker, was on his way to trial Tuesday at Memphis when Thomas Hooker, a brother of the dead man, killed him, and gave himself up. Ward alleged he killed the" man in' self-defense. The body was found ;, floating in Wolf river. Thomas Hooker thereup t follows suit and alleges" that he killed Ward in self-defense, since Ward "made a motion for a gun. The wedding of Miss Thelma Cot i tingham and Walter Burns, of Max I ton, brings on cmplicated relation ! ships. The bride's grandfather mar ! rieH a sister of the eroom. SO tne bride's step-grandmother is her sister-in-law, and being sister of the groom, she is also his step-gr ana-mother-in-law, and the old man is at once the groom's brother-in-law, ana step-grandfather-in-law. The hearing for evidence to place before congress in the Britt-Weaver congressional election case, is going on at Asheville. The contention of the republicans is that BuncomDe county's majority for Weaver was jevand Britt's districmajority was Ind thaln. a ffrcw jyssioa. tne. "-ycrawc election oiiiwus tuuuwu TlO majority in Buncombe for Wei er, which gave him the district ay 9 votes. The leaking committee has report ed that no public official had anything to do with the leak, that Boiling, brother-in-law of the president, is in nocent, as well as officials of the government; that Lawson's charges are not substantiated, and that ad vance tips were given brokers by two newspaper men who knew of the note in confidence. Anyway, there was a leak and 60 millions of dollars were cleaned up in the market by the lucky brokers and stock gamblers. Mrs Eleanor M. Gordon, widow of Gen. William W. Gordon, confederate veteran, is dead at Savanah.aged 82. It is said she was the first white child born in Chicago. Here is a vivid il lustration of the tremendous growth of American communities. In the old wnrld it has taken centuries to build ! a city like Chicago; yet in America, 1 it has been only four score years since a white person was born wnere Chicago now spreads her mighty reach, a citv of millions with an em- I pire of trade and business. BUY A WARSHIP FOR FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS? An eighty thousand ton battleship mounting fifteen 18-inch guns, hav ing a speed of 25 knots an hour and costing $50,000,000 is the limit for American w-arcraft, according to a report prepared for congress by the navy department in response to a question as to the size of ships that could use the Panama canal and A merican harbors. The report says such a vessel would have a length of 975 feet, beam of 108 feet, a secondary battery of 21 6-inch guns, four 21-inch torpedo tubes and a 12,000-mile radius of ac tion. Locks on the Panama canal are 110 feet wide so she would have two feet to spare. "A single such vessel," adds the re port, "would not be of great value to the riavy, as it would not be suited to act in unison with the other major units of our fleet. It would be neces sary to lay down not less than five." The general board, however, is not prepared to recommend so radical a departure as the 80,000-ton ship would present. Senator to a Senator. Following is a fragment from a report of the senatorial debate of last Saturday: Senator Lodge left the crowded senate chamber for the cloak room just as Senator Lewis of Illinois be gan a reply, in which he defended the policy of the president in dealing with the German crisis. "There is the senator from Massa chusetts," said Senator Lewis, "and may he no longer longer wear the cloak of Phariseeism in this body. He is opposed to everything demo cratic because it is democratic. He is opposed to everything that is pro gressive simply because it is in the record, and he is opposing today everything that Woodrow Wilson can do for the honor of his country un less it serves the purpose of war. The Holy Scriptures have it written that there are those who are likened to a whited sepulchre, beautiful out wardly, but who within are filled with all uncleanliness and hypocrisy." The attack of the Illinois senator on Senator Lodge provoked a laugh in the chamber. They've appointed a commission in lunacy to see if Harry Thaw is crazy. r